Where "1" is the country code, "867" is the area code and "959-5000" can be (optionally) dialled locally using abbreviated dialling (as designated by the two groups of digits con-joined with a hyphen).

Numbers should generally begin with + and a country code. The exception is numbers that cannot be dialled from outside the country, which should be listed in their local style. For instance, 1-1-2 and 9-1-1 distress calls, and New Zealand Freephone numbers (e.g. 0800 737-000 for the Air New Zealand Freephone number only valid within NZ).

When an area code is required for local dialling, or an area code requires a prefix for local dialling (say a '0'), note that in the Connect section of the guide.

Information on freephone/toll-free, caller-paid mobile and premium rate prefixes should also go in the Connect section. Consider whether a warning is necessary in the actual listing if premium rate numbers are used.

The number group(s) that can be (optionally) dialled locally are con-joined with hyphens.

Brackets are not used in numbers. If the digits are needed when calling from abroad, include them with no brackets (so +1-800-555-0199 and not 1 (800) 555-0199). If the digits are not needed on international calls, omit them (so +44 20 7777-7777 and not +44 (0) 20 7777-7777).

Our formatting method may differ from that seen most in the country concerned. We prefer to use hyphens to only indicate the (con-joined) abbreviated part of the whole telephone number that can be utilised for local dialling. We do not use italics or parentheses within the phone number.

In most countries, all the digits of mobile phone numbers should be dialled and there will be no (con-joined) abbreviated part of the whole mobile phone number that can be used for local dialling. Mobile phones are only given standard, landline-style geographic numbers in areas where mobile users pay airtime to receive calls (such as Canada/USA and China). This resource is useful for deciding which are mobile numbers. Wikipedia contains a good list of phone numbers formats by countries.

The {{listing}} template provides three fields (phone, tollfree, fax) for telephone numbers. Additional numbers (such as TTY/TDD numbers for deaf users) may need to appear at the start of the "content" part of the listing if there is no space for them otherwise.